(The Guardian) Caroline Kennedy praises Australia: ‘America doesn’t have a stronger, closer ally’
The US ambassador to Australia, Caroline Kennedy, has spoken with ABC News Breakfast this morning in her first media interview since coming to the country.
Kennedy said “it’s such an important time to be ambassador” and that travelling across so much of the country since she’s arrived has been the “most amazing introduction”. -- America doesn’t have a stronger, closer ally. I see that every day as I go around. Everyone’s been so friendly, it’s so beautiful. So I’m really honoured to be here.
When asked about the recent attack on the husband of Nancy Pelosi, Kennedy said she was “shocked and saddened” by the incident. Kennedy, who is the daughter of John F Kennedy, said Pelosi, has been “a friend of our family, for my whole life really”.
Does Kennedy believe Australians have cause to be concerned about the direction the United States is heading in? -- Well, I couldn’t be prouder of my country and I think that some of this is very disturbing, and any kind of violence should never happen, especially in a democracy. So that’s concerning. But I think that the vast majority of Americans condemn it, and I think our democracy is strong, and most people in America are maybe not what you see in the media. I think that American democracy has really been an inspiration for the world. People still want to come there. People still quote President Kennedy to me all the time in terms of public service and patriotism. I’m so proud of our democratic traditions, and I look forward to them becoming stronger in the future as well.
